Listowel to have full recount with five votes between three candidates

There is to be a full recount of votes in the Listowel Electoral Area, Co Kerry, after only five votes separated three candidates in the 11th and final count at the counting centre in Tralee late last night.

Five candidates were battling for the last four of the seven seats, with Sinn Féin's Dianne Nolan on 1,841; Fine Gael’s Liam Purtill on 1,574; Fianna Fáil’s Jimmy Moloney on 1,529; Fine Gael’s Mike Kennelly on 1,526 and Independent Dan Kiely on 1,524.

It was close to midnight when returning officer Michael McMahon declared Nolan, Purtill, Moloney and Kennelly elected, with Kiely losing out by two votes.

However, Mr McMahon then announced he had acceded to a request to hold a full recount, which will start at 9am today.

Three candidates had previously been declared elected earlier in the day: John Brassil, FF; Robert Beasley, SF, and Aoife Thornton, FG.

There had been a recount earlier in the evening, but no errors were found and the results that had been declared were allowed to stand.

The Government is facing fresh claims that it is failing to address spiralling health waiting list delays after a patient was told a hospital could not see him for a neurological condition until at least 2024.